thin tasting beer from Keg

[soneil8]

Hi Guys - I need help...... please!

I have been brewing quite a bit lately, and brew double batches (2*23litres) in one go. This means I can fill my 25litre sankey kegs and have some left for bottling.

However, the beer from the keg tastes thin, but the stuff from the bottle, once it has conditioned, tastes full bodies and really really good. I must say that there is still hop aromas and good bittering from the keg, but there just seems to be alack of body (maltiness almost).

Can anyone help me here? Am i doing somethign really stupid with my kegs?

Any help will be awesome,

Simon

[mozza]

Do you force carbonate the kegs? Could just require tweaking the level of carbonation. I'm new to using a sankey keg though so just speculating

[soneil8]

I generally carbonate to 15psi or maybe 20psi then leave it to sit. They have been in the garage, which is pretty cold at this time of year. If it drops too much (as it carbonates) I'll top it up. The latest brew hasbeen there for approx 3-4 weeks in the keg, so don't assume it will improve much now??????

[Martin G]

What temps are you serving each at? Colder will reduce some of the flavour.

[a-slayer]

I always found my beer was much better from bottles then kegs, hence I now bottle all my beer into old quart bottles, so it doesn't take too long to bottle 80 pints. I find it is usually ready to drink in about a week.

[soneil8]

What temps are you serving each at? Colder will reduce some of the flavour.

Does the colder temp reduce some of the 'body' as well as the flavour?

[gnutz2]

Beer in a bottle is a much different beast to beer in a keg. I agree with slayer and prefer beer that's beet bottle conditioned but kegs are very convinient.

Your serving pressures do seem very high for ales, especially if its cold. Over carbing could make a beer thin and tasteless. I tend to serve at 2-4 psi.

[soneil8]

So 2-4 psi serving at 10degrees...... Is that ideal?

[gnutz2]

Try it, see if you like it

IMO it's down to personal preference.

[darkonnis]

If you over carbonate, you'll reduce the mouth feel. It's good for making RIS' easier to drink

[IPA]

Hi Guys - I need help...... please!

I have been brewing quite a bit lately, and brew double batches (2*23litres) in one go. This means I can fill my 25litre sankey kegs and have some left for bottling.

However, the beer from the keg tastes thin, but the stuff from the bottle, once it has conditioned, tastes full bodies and really really good. I must say that there is still hop aromas and good bittering from the keg, but there just seems to be alack of body (maltiness almost).

Can anyone help me here? Am i doing somethign really stupid with my kegs?

Any help will be awesome,

Simon

You are obviously not force carbonating the bottles perhaps this is the answer.

[soneil8]

Hi Guys - I need help...... please!

I have been brewing quite a bit lately, and brew double batches (2*23litres) in one go. This means I can fill my 25litre sankey kegs and have some left for bottling.

However, the beer from the keg tastes thin, but the stuff from the bottle, once it has conditioned, tastes full bodies and really really good. I must say that there is still hop aromas and good bittering from the keg, but there just seems to be alack of body (maltiness almost).

Can anyone help me here? Am i doing somethign really stupid with my kegs?

Any help will be awesome,

Simon

You are obviously not force carbonating the bottles perhaps this is the answer.

I agree.... Does that mean I could add some sugar to my king keg, rack the fermented beer into it and leave it condition like a 'big bottle'. Once it has conditioned, rack the beer into my sankey keg for serving?

Thanks for all the comments so far....

[IPA]

I don't know about Sankey kegs but I always naturally condition my cornies and never get more than half a glass of cloudy beer when I draw off for the first time.

[soneil8]

I don't know about Sankey kegs but I always naturally condition my cornies and never get more than half a glass of cloudy beer when I draw off for the first time.

by this do you mean add a little sugar?

[IPA]

I don't know about Sankey kegs but I always naturally condition my cornies and never get more than half a glass of cloudy beer when I draw off for the first time.

by this do you mean add a little sugar?

4 grams of household sugar per litre will be enough for bitter.